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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877809">What Happens at the Party, Stays at the Party</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/SifaShep/pseuds/SifaShep'>SifaShep</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Quarian and the Infiltrator [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Mass Effect Trilogy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M, Mass Effect 3: Citadel, stuff implied but not explicit</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 14:53:08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>625</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27877809</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/SifaShep/pseuds/SifaShep</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This takes place during the Citadel Party in Shepard’s apartment. A conversation among Joker, Wrex, Grunt, Zaeed and Cortez at the downstairs bar while the rest of the crew is dancing. </p>
<p>Shepard and Tali are conspicuously missing for a while. That absence is noticed by some, but not all. Nothing overt, but definitely implied. You have been warned.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Male Shepard/Tali'Zorah nar Rayya</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>The Quarian and the Infiltrator [9]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/349712</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>What Happens at the Party, Stays at the Party</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Joker paused in his story as he heard a noise from upstairs. It was muffled by the music and the laughter from the kitchen, but he heard it. He looked up at the ceiling with an annoyed expression.</p>
<p>“Is that what I think it is?” he asked no one in particular. </p>
<p>“What are you going on about?” Zaeed groused. </p>
<p>Wrex, with his superior hearing, chuckled deep in his throat. “You don’t know what that is? Do I have to call another man emergency?”</p>
<p>Joker flushed crimson, then knocked back another shot of liquor. He slammed his glass on the bar and gestured for Cortez to refill it. “For the love of–I <em>know </em>what that is, Wrex. I’m not an idiot.”</p>
<p>"Good. Then I don’t have to explain the basics to you.”</p>
<p>“Yeah, you can skip that particular lecture, big guy." </p>
<p>Zaeed smirked as he finally understood what was going on. "Ah. Be thankful that you didn’t sleep just down the hall from Engineerin’ then. Had more than a few restless nights overhearin’ the noise from in there.”</p>
<p>Grunt gave him a look of mock sympathy. “You too? I thought I was the only one." </p>
<p>"Hell no. I got it on good authority that even Jack had to bang on her ceilin’ to get some sleep. You can ask her." </p>
<p>Joker shook his head and made a show of stopping his ears with his fingers. "Not. Listening. La-la-la. I really don’t need the know the details of Shepard’s sex life." </p>
<p>Wrex’s smirk was positively ferocious. "If Shepard was a Krogan, he’d get all sorts of breeding requests from adoring females. He’s what a Krogan woman wants: brave, cunning, a warrior of the highest rank. The other males might become a bit jealous of him, I think." </p>
<p>Grunt chortled and drank a huge mug of ryncol. "What do you expect? The Battlemaster has no equal. I’m surprised he hasn’t been swamped every time he visits Tuchanka." </p>
<p>"Probably because the effort might<em> kill</em> him?” Zaeed snarked. “I heard a rumor about you and ice bags, Wrex.”</p>
<p>Wrex growled dangerously, but everyone noticed he didn’t contradict Zaeed. “Being popular has its drawbacks, Massani.”</p>
<p>“That so? I think it’d be a hell of a way for a man to die happy.”</p>
<p> "For <em>you</em>, maybe,“ Joker interjected, "but I think Shepard’s a lot pickier.”</p>
<p>Cortez only shrugged and said, “Well, I’m glad the Commander’s found someone who loves him. Not easy to find that in this day and age, you know.”</p>
<p>Joker’s eyes softened as he considered his drink. “You’d know, wouldn’t you, Steve.”</p>
<p>“I’m happy for him and Tali. They’re a lot more alike than a lot of people realize.” Cortez shrugged again and downed his own shot. “I’m calling it now: those two are gonna last.”</p>
<p>Wrex’s smirk widened and he looked up again at the ceiling. “The way <em>they’re </em>going, I’d be surprised if this <em>place</em> will last without collapsing." </p>
<p>Joker nearly spit out his drink as the others laughed. Steve busied himself with the liquor bottles to hide his blushing. There was a tone of affection in the ribald joking, maybe even a hint of jealousy. But none of them said a word against Shepard and his Quarian lover. </p>
<p>So when Shepard re-joined the party much later, Wrex made a comment about the stability of human beds as opposed to Krogan ones. The commander blushed as red as his hair as the others laughed at the joke. Steve only nodded and gave him a knowing look, as only a man who had known true love could. </p>
<p> Shepard lowered his voice as he asked Joker, "So, I take it you all had an interesting conversation at the bar?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, but don’t worry, Commander. Secret’s safe with us.”</p>
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